Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Tomato Sauce

My quest for the best gluten free pasta will never die. Whether topped with my pesto, bolognese sauce or cheese, you already know about my love for quinoa pasta recipes. You also know I have experimented with squash as a replacement for pasta with my insanely delicious gluten free zucchini lasagna. Now, it’s time to try spaghetti squash as a gluten free pasta replacement for, well, spaghetti! I love my ground beef bolognese sauce on most occasions, but lean ground turkey just felt like the right choice for spaghetti squash. The sweetness of the squash is complimented by the lighter taste of the turkey for a healthy and delicious dinner option. I am always excited to make a minor tweak to my dinner routine…it makes me feel accomplished and keeps my food attention deficit disorder in check. This recipe is so tasty your family may not even notice the swap (a.k.a your children, husband, etc. can’t protest if they don’t know its a vegetable, so don’t tell them!).

Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Tomato Sauce

Makes 2 to 4 servings

Ingredients:

Fresh from the Market:

1 Spaghetti Squash

1 lb. Lean Ground Turkey

From the Pantry:

1 15 oz. can Tomato Sauce (I prefer chunky and plain)

1 tbsp. Tomato Paste

From the Spice Rack:

1 tsp. NatVia Natural Sweetener or Coconut Sugar

1/2 tsp. Onion Powder

1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder

1 tsp. Parsley

1/4 tsp. Sea Salt

1/4 tsp. Black Pepper

Kitchen Gadgets:

Pyrex or Corningware Baking Dish

3 qt. Saucepan

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 F degrees. Place the spaghetti squash in the baking dish and poke a few holes with a fork. This will keep that baby from exploding!

Bake the squash for about an hour, or until soft and easy to cut.

While the squash bakes, start your sauce. Break up the ground turkey in the saucepan and cook over a low flame. Once fully cooked (it will look white), drain the pot, if needed.

Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste and all of the herbs and spices.

Cook over a low to medium flame, stirring occasionally.

Once your squash is fully baked, carefully remove the baking dish from the oven. Keep your oven mitt on while cutting the squash lengthwise, so you don’t burn your fingers.

Clean the inside of each side of the squash by removing the seeds (which can be roasted and eaten like pumpkin seeds!) and remove some of the sticky squishy pieces of the squash.

Then, simply drag your fork across each half of the squash to remove the “spaghetti” and place in a bowl. Spoon the turkey tomato sauce over the gluten free pasta and voila! If you aren’t dairy free, sprinkle some

Parmesan cheese to make it feel like a real, Italian dinner!

If you liked this recipe, check out these other gluten free pasta alternatives!